Street-network Sprawl in Bălţi, Moldova

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What is Street-network sprawl?

Street-network Sprawl is a way to measure urban sprawl, worldwide, through the connectedness of the streets. Less sprawl means more connected, more walkable streets. Well-connected streets – like New York City’s grid – are more walkable and can be served by public transit.

The street network is permanent, and its connectivity affects the livability and environmental footprint of cities for decades and centuries to come. In places with more connected streets, residents drive less and walk more. A well-connected street network is associated with better outcomes for health, the environment, sustainable consumption, social integration, and equity.

We can quantify how connected street networks are with the Street Network Disconnectedness Index (SNDi).

SNDi -- our measure of street-network sprawl (disconnectedness)

The SNDi is a comprehensive measurement of “sprawl”. It captures:

• nodal degree
• dendricity, the tree-likeness of the street network
• circuity, the ratio of the distance by road to the straight-line distance of two locations on the street network
• sinuosity, the curviness of a street

A higher SNDi means less-connected streets – i.e., more sprawl. For the 10137 cities in our dataset, the average SNDi is 2.25, with half of the cities' SNDis falling between 1.08 and 3.25.

More information on the sprawl index can be found in these research papers:

• Global trends toward urban street-network sprawl
• A global assessment of street-network sprawl

To see the state of street-network sprawl across the globe, visit the sprawlmap.

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Bălţi: region in Moldova

What exactly constitutes the spatial extent of the city? For these aggregations, we used the Global Human Settlement Layer Urban Center Database (GHS-UCDB) to define the boundaries of the city. These cities -- or urban centers -- cover areas that are densely populated and built-up, and so may extend beyond the spatial borders of these cities that we may be familiar with. The GHS area is shaded in blue.

View Bălţi, Moldova on the sprawlmap

How have Bălţi's street networks changed over time?

Most recent snapshot: Taking into account the entire (i.e. aggregate) street network in Bălţi as of 2014, the overall level of street-network sprawl is 3.21, which is in the 40th to 60th percentile of disconnectedness.

Trends in street network construction: The SNDis of street construction for the respective time periods are 2.88, 3.3, 1.81 and 2.83. Disconnectivity in street construction in Bălţi follows a zig-zag trend. In 1991-2000, street construction was most disconnected, while construction was most connected in 1976-1990.

Quantity of street network construction: The street network in Bălţi spans a total of 309 kilometers. It is dominated by roads constructed in 1976-1990. These roads have an SNDi of 3.3, which is highly disconnected.

Effect on the aggregate network: New construction in each period adds to the total stock of streets, but does not change streets that have already been built. Therefore, it has a limited effect on the street network as a whole. The SNDis of the aggregate street network in the respective time periods are 2.88, 3.24, 3.22 and 3.21. The aggregate street network in Bălţi increased in disconnectivity initially,but the trend has turned around after 1990.

Bălţi in context: Street-network sprawl of new development

The level of street-network sprawl in new development in Bălţi followed a zig-zag trend with an overall decrease. To get a sense of how street development has changed in Bălţi, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Bălți. Disconnectivity in the most populous cities in Bălţi follow the same region trend.

How do development practices in Bălţi fare in comparison to others in Moldova? Most recently in 2001-2014, street construction in Bălţi was the 3rd-most disconnected out of the 4 regions in Moldova. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has fallen; relative to other regions in Moldova, street construction in Bălţi has become more connected. Bălţi ranked 1st in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 4th in 1991-2000 and 3rd in 2001-2014.

Bălţi in context: Aggregate street-network sprawl

As of 2014, the city with the most disconnected street network in Bălţi is Bălți with an SNDi of 3.36, which is highly disconnected. Conversely, the most connected city is Bălți with an SNDi of 3.36, which is highly disconnected. See trends for these cities: Bălți, Bălți

The level of street-network sprawl in the aggregate network in Bălţi peaked in 1976-1990. To get a sense of how the aggregate street network has changed in Bălţi, we can consider one of its most populous cities: Bălți. Disconnectivity in the most populous cities in Bălţi follow the same region trend.

To date, Bălţi is the 1st-most disconnected out of the 4 regions in Moldova. Its position in the ranks since 1975 has not changed. Bălţi ranked 1st in 1975, 1st in 1976-1990, 1st in 1991-2000 and 1st in 2001-2014.

Cities in Bălţi

• Bălți